the early learning coalition of manatee county

What the early learning coalition of manatee county does

The Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County (ELC) is a not-for-profit organization established in May 1999 under Florida Statute 411 (the School Readiness Act), operating as the designated coalition for Manatee County within a statewide network of 30 Early Learning Coalitions coordinated by the Florida Division of Early Learning. The organization administers three core government-funded programs: the Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) program providing free prekindergarten for all 4-year-olds (540 instructional hours school year, 300 hours summer), the School Readiness program providing income-based childcare subsidies for eligible families with children from birth through age 12, and the Child Care Resource and Referral (CCRR) service offering customized childcare search assistance. These core programs are delivered through the state-operated Florida Early Learning Family and Provider Portals, with Single Sign-On and Multifactor Authentication, and through a contracted network of 25+ licensed childcare providers who receive reimbursement for delivering state-funded slots.

ELC supplements the mandated programs with an extensive portfolio of specialized initiatives: the Nemours Reading BrightStart! (NRBS!) early literacy program, which by 2025 spans 25+ providers and 54 classrooms and has served over 2,000 students since its 2015 pilot; ReadingPals volunteer mentoring; Books for Kids through Lakewood Ranch Rotary; CATCH Early Childhood health programming; LENA Grow teacher professional development; My Math Academy; Spot On early intervention therapy; and BLOCK Fest family events. Distribution is multi-channel: a three-vehicle Educational Fleet of mobile learning buses (including the wheelchair-accessible ELC Explorer), direct-to-backpack distribution of the NEXTGEN Family Magazine to all elementary students, hospital partnerships (Manatee Memorial, Lakewood Ranch Medical Center) for newborn book distribution, and 17 Book Nook locations at community businesses. Technology stack consists of licensed third-party assessment platforms (ASQ, ASQ:SE, Teaching Strategies GOLD, CLASS) and the state-provided portals — no proprietary AI/ML systems are operated in-house.

The business model is a government managed-services structure: the ELC receives state appropriations through the Florida Division of Early Learning to administer School Readiness and VPK funding flows to contracted providers, supplemented by local match funding from Manatee County Government and philanthropic grants (notably $108K from Impact100 SRQ and $18K from Bradenton Kiwanis Foundation in 2025). Revenue is not publicly disclosed. The ELC is led by CEO Darrell King with a leadership team spanning Family Services, Provider Relations, Provider Quality & Child Development, Communications, Grants & Strategic Partnerships, Human Resources, and Community Educational Initiatives. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and has 50+ named staff positions across its Palmetto, Florida headquarters.

Name

the early learning coalition of manatee county

Legal name

Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County

Website

https://elc-manatee.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County is a Florida non-profit administering state-funded School Readiness and Voluntary Prekindergarten programs for families with young children in Manatee County through a network of contracted childcare providers, supplementing core programs with literacy, health, and mobile learning initiatives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education Services

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441), Child Care Services (624410), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Subsidy & Funding Compliance (CCDF/child care assistance program requirements) (EDACAKAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Early Childhood Education & Childcare Nonprofits (BPAGADAA), Early Childhood Education Regulators (EDADAAAI), Developmental Screening & Assessment (0–5) (EDACAFAA), Health Education & Parent Coaching (Sleep, Safety, Illness Management) (EDACAMAN)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Child care assistance
• Voluntary prekindergarten
• Child development screening
• Provider quality improvement

Headquarters

HQ city

Palmetto

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Contract Revenue (School Readiness): State of Florida funding through the Division of Early Learning for administering School Readiness programs, which provide subsidized childcare funding for eligible families based on income thresholds
2. Government Contract Revenue (VPK): State funding for Voluntary Prekindergarten program administration - a free program for all 4-year-olds in Florida, administered through contracted providers
3. Grants and Philanthropic Funding: Grant funding from organizations such as Impact100 SRQ ($108,000), Bradenton Kiwanis Foundation ($18,000), and other community partners to support specific programs like ReadingPals and early literacy initiatives

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Administers Manatee County's publicly funded early-learning system, including Child Care Resource and Referral, income-eligible School Readiness child-care assistance, and free VPK for eligible 4-year-olds. It also contracts with and supports child-care providers through enrollment portals, developmental and classroom assessments, quality coaching, professional development, mobile learning, literacy, health, and early-intervention programs.

Product overview

The Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County operates as a coordinated service network for early childhood education, consisting of three core government programs (Child Care Resource and Referral, School Readiness, and Voluntary Prekindergarten) administered through Florida's state portal systems. These are supplemented by specialized literacy programs including Nemours Reading BrightStart!, ReadingPals, and Books for Kids; health initiatives like CATCH Early Childhood and the Sleep Baby Safely campaign; assessment tools including ASQ developmental screenings, Teaching Strategies GOLD, and CLASS observations; early intervention services such as Spot On; professional development through StraighterLine and LearnUpon; and an Educational Fleet of three mobile learning labs. The organization connects families to child care through state portals and provides providers with contracting, compliance monitoring, and quality improvement support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ReadingPals: A statewide early literacy initiative that provides volunteer mentors for students from pre-K to 3rd grade who may need extra help, bringing trained volunteers into local preschool classrooms to read with children weekly.
• Every Child a Reader (ECAR)
• Spot On
• STEAM Machine
• CATCH Health Program
• Sleep Baby Safely
• BLOCK Fest
• LENA Grow
• My Math Academy
• NEXTGEN Family Magazine

Products and services

• Child Care Resource and Referral (CCRR) Free service providing families with customized child care searches based on location, schedule, curriculum, environment, special needs, and other criteria, along with information on rates, fees, hours, and provider credentials.
• School Readiness Child care funding assistance program for eligible families, covering children from birth through 12 years of age, with eligibility based on income thresholds and family circumstances.
• Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Free prekindergarten program for eligible 4-year-olds designed to prepare children for kindergarten, available as a 540-hour school-year program or a 300-hour summer program.
• Florida Early Learning Family Portal State-operated online portal for families to apply for School Readiness and VPK services, register for programs, and manage services using Single Sign-On and Multifactor Authentication.
• Florida Early Learning Provider Portal State-operated online portal for child care providers to complete and submit contracts and supporting documents for School Readiness and VPK programs.
• Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) Developmental Screening Developmental screening for children from 1 month to 66 months of age covering communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem solving, and personal-social skill areas.
• ASQ:SE Social-Emotional Screening Social-emotional screening for children from 1 month to 72 months of age addressing self-regulation, compliance, affect, and interaction with people.
• Teaching Strategies GOLD Observational assessment system for children from birth through third grade in which teachers assess students three times per year through classroom-based observations.
• Nemours Reading BrightStart! Research-based early literacy curriculum for young children that provides multisensory strategies, weekly classroom coaching, and assessment to prevent reading failure and close reading-readiness gaps.
• ReadingPals Statewide early literacy initiative providing trained volunteer mentors who meet weekly with VPK students to read aloud and support early literacy skill development.
• CLASS (Classroom Assessment Scoring System) Annual program assessment measuring teacher-child interactions across emotional and behavioral support, classroom organization, and instructional support.
• Spot On Early intervention program bringing licensed therapists into child care centers to address communication, self-regulation, and functional skill deficits in young children.
• CATCH Early Childhood Preschool-based health program for children ages 3-5 that uses a nutrition curriculum and structured physical activities to encourage healthy eating and physical activity.
• LENA Grow Practice-based professional development program for infant, toddler, and pre-K teachers that uses talk pedometers to measure and improve conversational turns between teachers and children.
• My Math Academy Digital early math program with a game-based interactive app that assesses key math milestones and provides educators with personalized instruction recommendations.
• Educational Fleet (Mobile Learning Labs) Three converted school buses serving as mobile classrooms that bring educational activities, books, and hands-on learning materials to child-care sites and community events.
• STEAM Machine Mobile STEAM education program that brings science, technology, engineering, art, and math experiences to children through interactive lessons aboard the Educational Fleet buses.
• StraighterLine Online Training Online professional development platform providing more than 600 hours of free, self-paced training for child care providers in English and Spanish.
• Tandem Platform through which child care centers can book vetted, state-compliant substitute teachers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 81.5% of qualifying children met or exceeded GRTR-R early literacy assessment targets, demonstrating successful acquisition of age-appropriate early literacy skills
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Nemours FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Large pediatric health system providing funding and curriculum for the Nemours Reading BrightStart! program, a research-based early literacy intervention dedicated to preventing reading failure in young children.
• Florida Division of Early Learning (DEL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level oversight agency providing leadership for coordinating programmatic, administrative, and fiscal policies and standards for early learning programs. The ELC administers state-funded School Readiness and VPK programs under DEL guidelines.
• Manatee County GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government investor supporting early care and education through the Child Care Subsidy and Match Program. Provides funding to supplement state allocations for family childcare assistance.
• Manatee County School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary K-12 education partner for transition programs, VPK provider coordination, and shared initiatives including the Educational Fleet (Mobile Learning Lab collaboration) and Give-Away Libraries at Title I schools.
• The Children's Movement of FloridacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide organization managing the ReadingPals program across 15 United Ways and local agencies. The ELC administers ReadingPals locally, receiving program support, training materials, and book funding.
• Manatee Memorial HospitalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHospital partner for Newborn to Read program, distributing books and parent tip sheets to every newborn at discharge to encourage early reading habits.
• Lakewood Ranch Medical CenterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHospital partner for Newborn to Read program, distributing books and parent tip sheets to every newborn at discharge to encourage early reading habits.
• Soar in 4 ManateecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManatee County's largest family movement providing free monthly family nights and educational resources. Funded the Dream Machine educational bus and supports Give-Away Libraries at Title I schools.
• Bishop Museum of Science and NatureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal museum hosting FREE Family Nights in partnership with ELC and Soar in 4, providing admission and literacy materials for Manatee County families.
• Books For Kids (Lakewood Ranch Rotary)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject of the Lakewood Ranch Rotary Club with 100+ trained volunteers visiting Title I schools to read to children and provide books for at-home libraries.
• Manatee County Sheriff's DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaw enforcement partner for Friendly's Book Club (Officer Friendly's Book Club Safety Summer program) and community safety events including Crime Stoppers Safe Kids Halloween.
• Safe Kids Florida SuncoastminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition implementing evidence-based programs including car seat checkups and safety workshops to help parents and caregivers prevent childhood injuries.
• Manatee Chamber of CommerceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal business chamber providing promotional support and networking for ELC programs, with ELC listed as a member organization.
• Manatee Education FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation-focused foundation supporting school initiatives and programs that benefit Manatee County students and early learning efforts.
• LWR Rotary - Books for KidsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRotary Club project providing books for kids and supporting early literacy efforts in Manatee County schools.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County: One of 30 Florida Early Learning Coalitions designated under Florida Statute 411, administering School Readiness, VPK and CCR&R services in adjacent Hillsborough County. Nearly identical statutory mission, funding model and service mix as ELC Manatee, and the closest operational comparison point.
• Early Learning Coalition of Sarasota County: Immediately adjacent Florida coalition serving Sarasota County with the same School Readiness, VPK and CCR&R administrative mandate under Florida Statute 411. Direct geographic neighbor with overlapping provider networks and shared donor pool.
• Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas County: Florida ELC serving Pinellas County with the state-mandated School Readiness and VPK administrative charter. Comparable scale, governance and service portfolio to ELC Manatee.
• Early Learning Coalition of Florida's Heartland: Multi-county regional coalition administering the same suite of state-funded early learning programs as ELC Manatee across DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Glades, Hendry and Okeechobee counties under the same statutory framework.
• Early Learning Coalition of the Big Bend: Regional Florida coalition delivering School Readiness, VPK and CCR&R services across Leon and surrounding counties. Functions under the identical statewide Florida Statute 411 framework with comparable headcount scope.

Broad incumbents

• Florida Division of Early Learning: State-level oversight agency that funds, coordinates and sets policy for all 30 Florida ELCs including ELC Manatee. Operates the shared Family and Provider Portals used by every coalition, functioning as the broader incumbent governing the coalition's operating environment.
• Children's Movement of Florida: Statewide nonprofit that operates the ReadingPals program infrastructure and aggregates funding across 15 United Ways and local agencies. ELC Manatee functions as a local administrator of Children's Movement programs, including ReadingPals and ECAR.
• Nemours Children's Health: Large pediatric health system that licenses the Nemours Reading BrightStart! curriculum and provides sustained research, funding and coaching for ELC Manatee's flagship literacy program — comparable as a national ECE player shaping local program design.
• Child Care Aware of America: National nonprofit that supports a network of CCR&R agencies and Child Care Resource & Referral state systems — many of which perform functions analogous to ELC Manatee (resource/referral, subsidy navigation, professional development) but at a larger, multi-state scale.

Regional players

• ChildCareGroup (Texas): Nonprofit CCR&R and child care subsidy administrator in Texas operating School Readiness-style subsidy, quality coaching and early literacy programs under a different state framework. Comparable in mission, structure and CCR&R scope but operating in a different jurisdiction.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=vusIjeRqUDo
• Xx.com/elcmanatee
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/early-learning-coalition-of-manatee-county-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about the early learning coalition of manatee county